Nightmare, Tounament
by PetrousFic
Summary: Ash is thrown out like a piece of trash when Team Rocket blows up the Cerulean Department Store. Now, five years later, at a tournament, two mysterious assassins appear and begin sweeping the competition. Also, the elusive CEO of Nightmare is rumored to be there. Rated M for hilarious jokes and suggestive themes.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1:**

**Beyond The Borders**

Jenny trudged through the jungle with her small group of friends. Dawn, as usual, just complained with May, Misty was grumbling, wishing her bike hadn't been destroyed, and Brock dragged his feet wearily. Jenny sighed, ducking under a branch. The Pokémon League had sent her and some of his "friends" to find him. He had been banished, and as soon as he was gone, Team Rocket had stood up and taken responsibility, laughing at how the League had sent away thier Ace. Then, Team Rocket sprang up all over the place. People were panicking, and doors and windows were locked at night.

They set up camp on the edge of the jungle and a desert. The faint glow of a town just over the horizon raised morale. Maybe they would find him in this town. They slept well, due to Brock's exquisite cooking and the promise of a town. But, as they would find, there would be no rest for the wicked. And with the way they treated him, they certainly were wicked.

~noOon~

They strode over the horizon, and looked at the town. It was really more of a small city, but the group was unfazed. They found the garrison, and walked into the blessedly cool building. "Name and business please." Said a nasaly voice from a woman sitting behind her desk. Jenny stepped forward.

"We are pokémon trainers looking for an associate." The woman looked down her nose at them.

"Names please, and then I will search for your friend." The small band passed on thier names, and then Jenny spoke again.

"Our associate's name was... Is Ash Ketchum." The woman typed furiously at her computer for half an hour, bouncing request after request through database after database.

"Ah here is a police report from four years ago." The group frowned. They would never have expected Ash to be on the receiving end of a police report. "Here, I'm reading directly from the document sweeties." The woman cleared her throat. "'The fire on thirty ninth has claimed only one life. One Ash Ketchum is the only person who has not yet resubmitted his citizenship form, however, there was no body.'" The group sat, thunderstruck at the news. Not only had they just sacrificed almost three years of thier lives, but Ash was dead even before they started their search. May, Dawn, and Misty all wept, and Paul, Gary and Drew tried to comfort them. Jenny sat on one of the plush chairs and pulled out her cellphone to alert everyone of the result of thier search.

~noOon~

"Oh Ashy-Boy! We got a hit from the garrison!" A black-haired girl yelled. She was rather short, standing at five foot six, with high cheekbones, a cheeky smile, and waist-length hair that was currently braided. She was very tan, and was wearing leather body armor, and a coat that went down to her ankles. There were multiple belts crossing over her body, and many had multiple pouches.(think Assassin's Creed). Also strapped on to her belts were small red and white spheres. From the other side of the dark room, the door opened. In stepped a tall man, the same age, 18, as the girl. He too had black hair, only his was unruly and stuck up in spikes in all directions. He was six foot three, and wore a similar coat with similar spheres. He walked over to the monitors groggily, rubbing his eyes. The girl made a sarcastic "aw" noise. "Did I wake the big baby up, fwom his power nap? Aww..." Ash chuckled and shoved her playfully. She rolled across the room in her chair, spinning slightly. She wheeled herself back over, and hacked the audio and visual to the security cameras. Ash watched over her shoulder. When the video cut through, Ash was shocked at who it was. It was most of his friends. Max was missing, as were Iris, Cilan, Serena, Brock, Clemmont and Bonnie, but for the most part they were all there. They were all sorrowful and crying, probably because they found out he was "dead." He looked at the girl. "Well, Nefer, it appears they finally found me..." On the monitor, he had distinctly heard the word "tournament." Ash pointed at the display. "Turn that up..." Nefer complied.

"...win this thing for Ash!" Was heard through the phone, which was on a table, on speakerphone. May sniffed and spoke.

"We know you will." Ash turned off the computer. He walked over to a Matisse, and punched in a small combination on the side of the frame. The Matisse swung away, replaced by cases of belts with pokéballs. Ash scanned his thumbprint, and swung the case open, hanging his belt up. A sign said _Rookie._ He pressed a button, and the cases rotated. Nefer stood up and walked over.

"So, which team are you using." Ash chuckled darkly.

"I'm going to give you a hint. I need your left thumb. Nefer paled.

"Come on Ash. Even they don't deserve that. You remember the last person you fought with them?" Ash looked indignant.

"Hey, he ended up okay! Eventually..." Ash muttered the last word, and Nefer sighed. Finally, a case came into view. The pokéballs on this belt were pure black, except for the release button in the center. There were two keypads, and two thumb scanners. He put his code in, and scanned his thumb. Nefer did the same, and the case swung opened with a hiss. Each person grabbed their belts, and Ash spoke again. "I want to use this team because after I'm done with my opponents, they'll know what it's like to crawl through hell." Nefer pouted.

"Without them, you never would've met me!" Ash laughed and kissed the top of her head.

"Yeah, that's the worst part." Nefer laughed.

"That's not what you said last night! I seem to recall some 'Oh Arceus's,' and some 'I love you's!'" Ash chuckled.

"Well at least I could talk! All you did was scream and gasp." Nefer blushed deep red. They continued bantering all the way out of the room. The Matisse swung shut like a door, concealing the case, with the label _Armageddon._

_~noOon~_

_One half week later:_

"...and that's how I'm gonna win this thing!" A green-haired boy said, as they walked into the Indigo Plateau pokécentre. A brown haired girl tugged on her hair, exasperated.

"I don't care Max! I am just here to support you, not deal with you!" They heard a laugh, and they whirled. There, on a couch, was a tanned, squinty-eyes man.

"Brock!" They both screamed in unison.

"Hey guys! What's up? Did you find Ash?" May's face did a complete one-eighty. The smile turned into a frown, and her cheery eyes filled with tears. Brock hugged her lightly. "I'm sorry. I didn't realize. Where is he?" May burst out crying.

"He... He's... He's dead." She wept. Brock stared open mouthed.

"No... No way. I don't believe you." May sighed. She would let Brock live in denial for now.

"Ash Kech-". The half finished shout was cut off by the hiss of steel and frantic whispering. The group whipped around towards the desk. There were three figures. One was Nurse Joy, with two others. They were wearing ankle length coats with spiked steel boots, and multiple belts crossed their body. On all of the belts were a total of about ten pokéballs. Six of said balls were black, and Max grinned. He then noticed the half drawn sword strapped on his back, and the smile evaporated. The second hooded figure, not nearly as tall, was standing between the two, one hand over Nurse Joy's mouth and the other was pressed against the first's chest. Brock sprang up, furious, but May jumped in front of him.

"Brock!" May hissed. "That guy has a sword! That's completely different than pokémon!" Brock pushed past her, but the figures stepped back, and Brock calmed.

"Oh, sorry Mr. Nightmare." The tall figure nodded once, and turned, sheathing his sword. The shorter muttered an apology, and raced off after the taller. Max jumped in front of the figures.

"I challenge you to a pokémon battle." The figure ignored him, pushing right past him, knocking Max onto his butt and his glasses askew. May sprang up.

"Hey you bastard! Who the hell do you think you are!?" The man kept walking. Brock joined in the verbal assault.

"What's wrong? Are you scared of loosing to a kid?" The man stopped. His voice was gruff, cold and dismissive. It was also oddly familiar.

"I don't want that kid to go through a crushing loss right before a tournament. You will need all the morale you can muster." The group snorted, and Max threw his head back in laughter. The man turned, and the group's laughter fell out. "Tell you what kid. I will battle you." Max let out an inward cheer. "Under a few conditions." Max grinned.

"Anytime, anyplace!" The man laughed.

"I remember a kid like you. About the same age then too. Anyway! Here are the special rules: you have to use all six pokémon." Max nodded. "You can sub out at any time." Max nodded again. "And lastly, I will fight the battle myself." Max started to nod, then looked confused.

"Wait, what?" The man chuckled.

"You heard me." Max grinned and almost laughed.

"Alright! But don't use any of those swords you have! I don't want my pokémon getting too hurt!" The man muttered something. "Wanna say that to my face?" The man laughed and walked back outside. Max turned around. May was positively beaming at him.

"Maxy, you are going to destroy that guy!" Max whooped and started walking towards the door. Brock was lost in thought.

_Maybe... Just maybe..._

_~noOon~_

"This is a six on one special battle between Max Maple of Petalburg and a mystery trainer I met inside." Max spoke up.

"Hey buddy, put the swords and stuff down!" The man muttered something about weaponry, and walked over to the other figure. He unstrapped the two swords and daggers that Max had seen, but kept unstrapping more and more. Towards the end, the man actually reached between his molars and cheeks and brought out two sharp metal rods. Max and May gaped.

"How many weapons does this guy have?" They said together.

"Hey guys! What's up?" Came a voice. The pair and Brock whirled around. There was Dawn, followed by Paul, glaring as usual. Dawn and May hugged. "May, it's great to see you! How have you been? I know I just saw you but still, something must have happened!" May nodded.

"That guy challenged Max to a battle." May pointed at the hooded man, who was still unstrapping sheathe after sheathe. Dawn wrinkled her nose.

"Why is he taking off all that gear?" May laughed.

"Because, get this, he says he can beat Max's pokémon himself!" Dawn's moth opened, and she laughed.

"He must be some idiot!" The man finished unstrapping his weapons and turned to look at May, Max, Dawn and Paul.

"For your information, he is an incredible strategist and is also very perceptive!" The shorter of the two figures yelled, disconcerting the group.

"Okay! All of my weapons and pokémon are with my acquaintance! Let's go!" Max grinned.

"Go Gallade!" Max yelled. Gallade appeared on the field in a flash. He looked across for an opponent, and only saw a man. He radiated power, and Gallade turned back to Max.

**(A/N: I will translate Pokéspeech, but unless specifically stated, no one except other pokémon, Ash and Nefer can understand.)**

**"**_Max, I don't know whoyou're fighting, but let me just say... YOU ARE AN IDIOT!" _The man laughed.

"I agree Gallade!" The man shouted. Gallade turned, confused.

"_You... You can understand me when I'm not talking psychically?"_ The man laughed. Max was confused.

"Gallade, Psycho Cut!" Gallade psychically apologized to the strange man, then his arm blades glowed purple, and he rushed forward. The man didn't move, and Max almost laughed. This guy was an idiot. As the blade swung down, the man started to spin. He ducked, spinning and kicking his foot out, and the purple blade passed over his head. The sole of his steel boot made a connection with the side of Gallade's head. Shockwaves rippled away from the impact, and Gallade crumpled without a sound. Everyone looked like Magicarp out of water, gaping. The man and his partner chuckled.

"Next." Was all he said. Max grumbled something about luck.

"Go, Mightyena!"

_~noOon~_

Max fell to his knees. Five pokémon knocked out in one hit each within one minute each match. Max looked up, fire in his eyes.

"I didn't want to have to do this, but here's my best pokémon. It used to belong to one of the best trainers I ever knew. Go, Pikachu!" The man was awestruck. The Pikachu was his Pikachu. Its cheeks sparked.

"_I'm gonna shock you into next Tuesday_!" The man laughed with his partner.

"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!" Pikachu screamed his name, sending a huge arc of electricity towards his opponent. An enormous dust cloud of dust and smoke erupted from where the bolt struck. Max pumped his fist. May grabbed his shoulder.

"Max! That guy might not have survived a full power Thunderbo-". May stopped short, and Max swiveled his attention back to the field. As the smoke cleared, a figure strode through. It was the man. He walked over to Pikachu, and kicked him. Pikachu flew through the air, rolling to a stop in front of Max, knocked out. The man snorted with laughter.

"Weak." The man turned, restrapped all his gear, and walked off into the woods. Max scooped up Pikachu, and ran into the pokécentre.

_~noOon~_

"Don't you think you layed it on a little thick there, Ash?" Nefer asked. Ash laughed.

"You know the answer. For three years I wallowed, and then for two years after that, I suffered through you!" Nefer laughed.

"Well Mr. CEO of Nightmare Industries, I didn't know you didn't like me. Maybe I'll just leave." She turned, as if to leave, but Ash wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Please don't go." Ash whispered, kissing her cheek.

"That's what I thought. Now, let's train. It's been a while since our Armageddon teams fought." Ash chuckled, arms still wrapped around Nefer's waist.

"How about a little one on one pokémon battle, and then a little one on one ourselves?" Nefer blushed, giggling.

"Sounds good to me."

_~noOon~_

**So, ladies and gentlemen, there's the first chapter of **_**Nightmare, Tournament.**_ **I hope you liked reading it, but if not leave a cheery "You suck" and then stop reading. This is Petrous, signing out.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2:**

Ash got up and looked around the five star hotel penthouse he was staying in with Nefer. Not as luxurious as he was used to, but it would do. He walked across the rose petal covered floor, knocking over a few candles. He jumped into the shower and turned the water up full blast, and began sudsing his hair. He heard the sink turn on and heard some faint humming. As he rinsed his hair, he let the melody wash over him. It was familiar, and he loved it, and the girl singing it.

"You know, this shower is pretty big." He stated. The sink stopped, and a tan shape appeared in the frosted glass.

"Is it lonely?" The sweet voice reverberated throughout the bathroom, and Ash snickered.

"Yes. I could use some company." The door slid open, and Nefer peeked around the corner.

"Do you want me to go get you some company?" Ash coughed.

"No. Why don't you keep me company?" Nefer smirked, and slid the door open further, and stepped in.

_~noOon~_

"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen! This is the Tournament of Dreams, hosted by the mysterious CEO of Nightmare Industries!" Cheering echoed throughout the stadium. Charles Goodshow smiled, and his ear piece buzzed. He itched his ear to activate the listening module.

"Goodshow we have one Rogue, two hundred feet and... Hurk!" The second best security team in the four regions was being taken out by a single man... Or pokémon. Suddenly, the team captain came through the static.

"Goodshow! Get out of there! This guy's too fast. He is in like two places at once! How is he in two places in once? Agh!" The radio cut out. Goodshow was incredibly shocked. That room and hallway was directly backstage. All hopes for subtlety was abandoned.

"Echo 2! Respond!" The crowd quieted. "Echo 2!" The crowd began frantically whispering. He turned back to the crowd. "Excuse me a minute." He hobbled off the podium, and walked towards stage left. As he walked towards it, a hooded figure no one, save a small group of five, recognized. He spread his arms wide, in a friendly gesture.

"Charles!" Mr. Goodshow grinned.

"Mr. Nightmare! What a pleasure! Sorry to be abrupt, but my security team is experiencing a difficulty." Mr. Nightmare chuckled, and pulled a high powered rifle from beneath his coat. He handed it to a stunned Goodshow.

"Sorry about that, Chuck. I really don't appreciate having rifles shoved up my nose." Mr. Goodshow frowned, trying to think of something to say. "Mind if we take over?" Mr. Goodshow nodded numbly, and then realized something.

"We?" Nightmare said nothing.

"Hello everybody!" People clapped politely, confused as to who this man was, and how he was able to casually take out one of the best security teams in the regions. "My name isn't important, seeing as how I never use it. But, just for reference, call me Nightmare. Now, this tournament, I personally set up. I have reviewed official tournaments, and I have split you all up into three brackets. This tournament, being incredibly large, has evenly matched you up. Now, I'm not saying it was by skill, but it was by skill." Suddenly, Nightmare's PokéNav went off. He pulled it out of his pocket and spoke. "Ah, Romeo, how did the-" Nightmare stopped talking, listening intently. He turned back to the microphone. "I'm dreadfully sorry, but something's come up. My associate will fill you in on the rest of the details." Another hooded person stepped up, this one shorter and clearly female. She too handed Mr. Goodshow a rifle, and stepped up to the microphone. The men in the crowd whistled, much to Nightmare's discomfort. Suddenly, Brock jumped up on stage, kneeling and holding one of the hooded woman's hands.

"HI I'm Brock, and I love you!" Nightmare strolled back on stage, and hoisted Brock up by the collar of his shirt. Brock dangled over the crowd.

"Mr. Slate. If you ever touch my associate again, then I promise you, Mr. Forest will find it incredibly hard to run a foreclosed Gym." Nightmare hissed the threat. Brock paled and stopped struggling.

"How did you..." Nightmare laughed, dropping him on his butt.

"Oh Mr. Slate. I knew you for over five years. There isn't much I don't know about you and your friends." Brock gaped.

"Ash?" Nightmare didn't respond, merely walking off stage. Brock was broken out of his thoughts by Misty, who was currently braining him with a mallet. Nightmare's associate continued talking, ignoring Brock.

_~noOon~_

"Ashy-boy!" A brown haired man yelled. The hooded man, Nightmare, removed his hood, revealing his ruggedly handsome face, and unruly black hair.

"Gare-Bear!" He yelled. Gary was carrying a black duffel. "So, how did you do?" Gary grinned.

"Absolutely fantabulastic!" Ash laughed. "We got three new berry species, two Bulbasaur, one Charmander, and some anomalous magnetic rocks." Nightmare clapped his hands together.

"Wonderful! I have a surprise for you Gare-Bear!" Gary grinned. Ash's surprises were the best. "Close your eyes." Gary closed his eyes. Ash pulled a pokéball from his pouch. Instead of red and white, the ball was green on the bottom and on the top, with yellow frills. "Okay, open them!" Gary opened his eyes and looked at the ball. He loved it, but was honestly a bit disappointed. Ash laughed, seeing his friend grin, knowing he was disappointed. He put the ball in Gary's hands. "Open it." Gary threw the ball in the air, and out spilled a Kecleon. It was rather small, and Gary guessed it was recently hatched. "I have had the breeders working on this technique for three years. That Kecleon has Color Change, Protean, and Speed Boost!" Gary's eyes widened.

"Three abilities? How is that even possible?" Ash scratched the back of his head.

"Actually, I don't know any specifics. I run the company like that so I am not actually worth much." Gary laughed.

"And so the importance falls to operatives... Like me, and... Say, how is Nefer?"

"Well Mr. Oak," said Nefer, walking into the room. "I am doing fantabulastic." Gary rubbed the back of his head. Ash hugged her.

"So how was the rest of the ceremony?" Nefer snuggled up under Ash's arm.

"Okay. There were no more Brock outbursts, and I finished explaining the tournament rules. Oh, and Gary?" Gary smiled, Kecleon jumping up on his shoulder, like Pikachu had, a long, long time ago. "Kelsey was moved to the Platation Project. You can be moved there too, after the tournament." Gary grinned wildly. He scratched his chin, pretending to think.

"YES!" Gary yelled. Kelsey was his fiancé, and he had been assigned to a research mission. Ash laughed.

"Remember, Romeo, we need you to win. Then reveal you're Gary Oak, working for Nightmare, then I will reveal..."Ash looked to the left, towards the door. As if on cue, Max, May, Paul, Drew, Trip, Dawn, Misty and Brock all walked in. "May I help you?" Ash asked, barely containing his anger. Misty was furiously waiting. No one spoke. "No? Okay. As I was saying, Mr. Oak, I have had my breeding team working on that generation of Kecleon for a very, very long time. We also bred in the moves Withdraw, Pound and Lick, for your strategic usage." Max spoke up.

"Wait, Oak like Professor Oak? Oak like Gary Oak?" Gary sighed, and took off his hood. Everyone broke out in grins. "Gary!" Max screeched, throwing himself at Gary. They hadn't seen Gary for two years, when he had mysteriously called, saying he was done looking for Ash, and he was pursuing a job with an independent corporation. "Gary, can you battle me? Please!" Gary looked at Ash. He nodded, and Gary grinned.

"Sure, why not?" Since Ash had disappeared, Max had started looking up to Gary.

"I've got to warn you Gary, I've gotten stronger!" Nightmare snorted laughter, and Misty lost control of her temper. She flew at Nightmare, whipping her mallet downwards. Nightmare blurred, and Misty fell on her butt, surrounded by wooden splinters. Nightmare crouched down in front of her.

"Temper temper, Ms. Waterflower. Next time, the mallet might not be what breaks." He stood up, and turned with a dramatic swish of his cloak, and exited the room. He whispered something to Gary, and Gary grinned.

"Sure thing boss!" His friends gaped.

"Boss!?" They said in unison. Gary nodded.

"Yes. This, as you know and have met, is Nightmare, CEO and founder of Nightmare Industries. He gave me a job where I-". Nightmare cleared his throat, since he hadn't left yet. Nefer answered a short call, and whispered to Nightmare, who nodded. Nefer turned to Gary.

"Good news Gare-bear! Kelsey just flew in! She's landing in the heli over on the pokécentre field." Gary grinned so wide, Nightmare idley if his face hurt.

"That's amazing! When is she landing?" Nefer checked her Pokétch.

"In about... Fifteen minutes, forty-nine seconds. You know how she is with numbers. After you two catch up-". Max chose that specific moment to butt-in.

"Wait. Who's Kelsey?" Gary frowned.

"Has it really been that long?" Max nodded. Gary ran a hand through his hair. "Well... Uh... Kelsey... She's my... She's... Well... She's my fiancée." Everybody was shocked, but happy. They all slapped Gary on the back, congratulating their friend.

"What does she look like?" May and Dawn both asked. Gary beamed, and ran his hand through his hair again.

"Well... She's one of the most beautiful people ever... She has blonde hair, that goes to her waist... She's almost as tall as me, if not taller... She is a researcher in my division... Um..." The door opened. In walked a blonde woman. She was as tall as Gary, with long, slender legs. She was wearing a lab coat, with a short black skirt. Her blonde hair was tied in a tight bun. She was also wearing glasses, and a grin adorned her face. Under the coat she wore a Pokémon Ranger shirt from a recruitment rally in 1985.

"She's also really funny, with impeccable timing!" She held out her arms, and Gary grinned. He walked over to her, and wrapped his arms around her. She buried her face in the crook of his neck. They stepped away, and Kelsey looked at Nightmare. When the traitors had entered the room, he had hastily put his hood back on. She grinned widely. "Ash!" Everyone in the room froze, and her wide smile slowly disappeared. "Did I say something... Oh these are THOSE friends?" Gary nodded grimly. Nightmare muttered a half-felt excuse and ran out the door, Nefer following right after. Kelsey sighed, and her eyes teared up. Gary hugged her, and she sobbed an apology. "I'm sorry... I didn't know... Didn't think..." May whispered, barely daring to breathe.

"Wait, Gary." Gary turned to them vehemently.

"What!?" They were all taken aback by his fierceness. Max was meek.

"Does she mean, like Ash Ash? Like, OUR Ash?" Gary released a breath through his teeth, making a hissing noise. Max stepped back.

"No. That Ash died when-". Misty stepped forward.

"We already know that!" Gary hissed and stepped forward, fists clenched and knuckles white.

"Let me finish, bitch!" Misty was taken aback, and everyone gasped, including Kelsey. "He died when you all stabbed him in the back, on live television!" All of the traitors looked down, but Misty retorted.

"What makes you any different, _Gare-bear! _I saw you, on that nightshow, and you spent almost thirty minutes bashing him." Gary grunted, gritting his teeth.

"What makes me different, is I looked for him BEFORE he was proclaimed innocent. Even before Team Rocket stepped forward! None of you looked for him before you needed him. And guess what? Nightmare Industries just, as in two days ago, purchased Team Rocket from Giovanni for 2.7 BILLION dollars! He is giving the disband order as soon as the tournament is over. And you know why?" The group shook their heads numbly. Where did Ash get that much money? "He is doing that so no thirteen year old and his friends have to deal with them!" All of the traitors gaped, and tears formed in most of their eyes. Gary turned away, and walked out the door with Kelsey. The group was left to wallow in pity, and Max knelt, tears streaming down his face.

_~noOon~_

**There's a chapter of Nightmare Tournament! Surprise from Kelsey, she ruined Ash's surprise. Girls always ruin everything (stomps foot like child). Just kidding! Girls are... Okay... Rate and Review, leave OC's. Anyway, this is Petrous, signing out.**


	3. Chapter 3

_Chapter 3:_

Ash sat up in bed. Nefer was already awake, he could hear her humming in the kitchen. He walked silently to his bag, and pulled out a fresh set of clothes. He put them on and looked in the mirror. He was wearing a kimono style white shirt, with jeans and brown climbing boots. He also wore a dark blue jacket, unzipped, that reminded him of the one he wore during his adventures. He brushed his teeth and grabbed his hat. It was black and white, with the Nightmare symbol on the front. He practiced smiling and laughing. Nefer leaned against the doorframe.

"What, pray tell, are you doing?" She said with a grin, wearing nothing but her underwear. Ash smiled and wrapped his arms around her. He lifted her up bridal style, and carried her, giggling, to the counter, and sat her down. She swore, and jumped off the granite countertop.

"Damn Ashy! That's cold!" Ash laughed.

"Now remember, Emily, we just need to win this one tournament, and then we can go to the Plantation. We can grow old together, and live happy lives. Anything I am missing?" Nefer thought for a minute.

"Um... Any children?" Ash scoffed.

"Children are disgusting. Besides, I can just hand the company to Gary's kids. Arceus knows he is gonna have, like, eight trillion!" Nefer seemed deflated, but Ash picked up on the subtle drop in her shoulders. "What's wrong? I didn't know you liked children." Nefer looked sad, but she pasted on a smile.

"I don't it's just..." She trailed off, lost in thought. He wrapped his arms around her, rubbing her back slowly.

"I'm sorry I insulted you. After Emily and Jimmy win the tournament, we can leave, alright? I wouldn't mind tolerating a child, you know, once the Plantation is self-sustaining. Gare-Bare and Kelsey are heading there after the tournament. I wonder how we are going to explain the cases of pokémon we have?" Ash chuckled, and Nefer hugged him back. "Now, go get dressed! Jimmy and Emily each have matches." Nefer walked slowly out of the room, hips swaying, and Ash returned to practicing his smiles and laughs. But Nefer looked at a black and white photo as she changed.

_~|noOon|~_

"Welcome to one of the first matches of the tournament!" Roaring applause. "This is the one on one exhibition match between Jimmy, from a hard to pronounce city that I will not even attempt to say, and Elesa, Gym Leader of Nimbasa!" Torrential cheering at the popular Gym Leader's name. She waved elegantly, smiling. Since Ash's Unova debut, Elesa had gotten a little taller, had grown larger, now probably a high B-cup to low C-cup. She was still wearing the outfit he had seen her in during his Unova journey.

"I am surprised I was placed in a bracket with someone like you, Jim! Considering the tournament was matched up by skill, and you never challenged me..." Elesa trailed off, thinking. She grabbed a pokéball, kissed it, and threw it onto the field. An Emolga spilled out in a flash of light.

"Emol!" She cutely yelled. "Jimmy" released a Golem the size of a wrecking ball, which roared, not cutely. The crowd stopped awing when Golem landed on the battlefield. One person was cheering politely. "Jimmy" threw up his arms.

"C'mon guys!" He yelled.

"You're gonna get destroyed!" Yelled a random voice. "Jimmy" turned away.

"Fine be that way! It's not like I could win or anything!" Golem looked at "Jimmy," with one rocky eyebrow raised.

_Master, why in da hell are you acting that way? _"Jimmy" laughed quietly.

_Rollout until it falls. _Golem shrugged and rolled his shoulders and neck.

"Be-". The referee began to yell. Instantly, Golem disappeared, replaced by a large brown sphere, hurtling towards Emolga at impossible speeds. Emolga barely had time to stop smiling before it was launched backwards, shooting past Elesa, who was still smiling. Emolga was embedded in the wall, eyes closed and breath being released in a long, high-pitched whine.

"Ee..." The whine stretched on into silence. "Jimmy" returned Golem.

"-gin..." The referee finished his shout halfheartedly. "Jimmy" shot Elesa with a finger gun, making an explosion noise with his mouth. Elesa's mouth was hanging open. "Jimmy" walked into the locker room, and took off his hat, letting his black hair stick up wildly. He checked his watch. Nefer's match was starting in five minutes. Ash chuckled to himself, knowing that Nefer's match wouldn't last much longer than his. Nevertheless, he walked to the match, and sat in the front seat, making sure he could see but not be seen, unless looked for. He pulled his hat down low over his eyes and leaned back. One person was already on the field. It was Misty. Ash chuckled, waiting restlessly for Misty to get absolutely destroyed.

"That's my girlfriend." Ash turned slowly. There was Trip, that classic smug grin pasted on his face. He stuck out his hand, and Ash, remembering that his character was friendly, shook it. He squeezed hard though, unable to restrain himself. Trip winced at the strong handshake. "What brings you to this match?" Trip asked. Ash gritted his teeth.

"My girlfriend is participating against yours." Trip chuckled.

"Small world, right? Well wish her luck! She'll need it!" Ash held back a retort, instead opting for a sneer.

"Doubtful." Trip grunted, nodding, and then walked back to his group. Ash heard the other door open, and saw Nefer walk through, onto the field. She saw Ash and waved. He waved back. He realized he was wearing some black and white fingerless gloves. He smiled, realizing they were the same style as the gloves he wore throughout his journey. He loved remembering how they had stabbed him in the back, and that now, he was the CEO of one of the most popular and successful company in the world. He chuckled to himself, and heard the referee take a position. He opened his eyes, and realized he had fallen asleep. The crowds were muttering, and the referee cleared his throat into the microphone.

"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the second exhibition match. After the absolutely crushing decimation of Elesa at the hands of Jimmy, this match may be, albeit longer, hopefully more interesting!" Ash laughed, stood and waved. He spied, up in the VIP box, Elesa blush and turn away. He sat down, and the referee continued his customary speech.

"This is a one on one match between Misty Waterflower, gym leader of Cerulean City!" Torrential cheering. "And, Emily, from that same hard to pronounce city Jimmy is from!" There were a few cheers, probably just to be polite. Ash looked at Nefer, and definitely thought she looked like an Emily. She was wearing the same kimono-style white shirt he did, with a similar blue jacket, but she wore no hat, and black flats, and a long pink skirt. She was smiling broadly, and waved shyly. Misty sneered.

"Emily, I will defeat you quickly so your boyfriend doesn't need to watch you suffer!" Ash clenched his fist, but projected a retort psychically to Nefer. She grinned.

"Misty, it won't embarrass me if you can even do any damage! I'll even be a little proud of you!" Misty growled and threw a pokéball. Starmie spilled out in a blinding stream of white light. Emily grabbed a pokéball- not a black one, Ash noticed- and released a Macgargo the size of a small car. It released its bubbly cry, and everyone started sweating, save Ash and Nefer. Ash felt a disturbance in the flow of Aura as Nefer projected instructions to Magcargo. It nodded, and the referee raised a flag.

"Begin!" Misty immediately pointed out to the field.

"Starmie, Surf!" Starmie rose on a plume of water, and then flew on it towards Magcargo. Magcargo simply began getting hotter and hotter, slowly glowing brighter and brighter. As soon as the water reached within feet of the Lava pokémon, it instantly evaporated, leaving Starmie hurtling into thousands of degrees of lava snail. Starmie bounced off Magcargo's molten body, instantly knocked out. "Emily" returned the molten monster, and bowed elegantly. She turned, long pink skirt swirling around her slender, elegant legs. She walked out of the arena. Ash stood and sidestepped out as well. They met up in the hallway, and Nefer smiled.

"You're welcome! I just obliterated Misty with the back up for my Armageddon team!" Ash kissed her head. They stood there for a minute.

"Hey! Jimmy!" Yelled a familiar voice Ash dreaded. He set his teeth, thinking _Not them, please! Not them..._ Ash almost physically groaned when he turned, and saw Trip dragging Misty behind him. Ash smiled against his immediate reaction.

"Hey, you! Told you!" Ash said with a smile. Trip walked up, and playfully punched his shoulder. He then pointed at Nefer.

"That was pretty spectacular! How did you get a fire type move to over-power a water move?" Nefer laughed, and hugged Ash.

"Well I learned from the second best. Well, now he's the best, since his teacher is dead." Nefer looked down, and Ash picked up on what she was doing.

"Yeah... And he went out in such an unspectacular way too. He destroyed a Blastoise in the Silver Conference with a Charizard. I was destroyed when he died in that fire a few years ago..." Trip's grin disappeared.

"Was his name Ash?" Ash pretended to be surprised.

"Yeah! You guys knew him?" Trip nodded grimly.

"Yeah, we were-". Ash's PokéNav buzzed in his pocket. He pulled the small communicator out of his pocket and looked at the small screen. He grinned widely, and flipped the device open.

"Ghestis, my buddy! Wazzup!" Misty gasped, recognizing the sinister name. Ash didn't notice, but his smile gradually disappeared, replaced by a look of amazement. "It's done! How is it done already? You know what, I don't care! That's amazing! What does it look like? Make it silver, and shiny. I don't know, paint? Or some needlessly complex polymer, whatever you decide! I have to set up the installation meeting... Oh, where are we going to get that kind of energy? Install some kinetic harvesters, solar, and, maybe a charging port. Come on!" Ash was talking very fast, but still noticed Trip and Misty whispering. He opted to ignore it. "Come ooo-". Ash stretched on the "aw" sound in on, and finally he pumped his fist. "Haha! I win again. I will be there in..." Ash looked at the time on his watch. "Seven hours!" Ash mock sighed. "I know, Ghestis! What ever shall you do in seven hours? Work on the other Knights! Yes, Nefer's first! Then Gary's a-". Ash realized his blunder too late. He had just given away his identity... Again. But maybe the two before him wouldn't noticed if he paved over it. "Then do... Um.. That'll be all for now." He disconnected the call, and looked at Nefer. "My Knight is ready!" Nefer laughed and hugged him.

"That's amazing! He said it would take close to five more years to-". Misty stepped forward angrily.

"Hold it! How do you know Ghestis, and why do you call him buddy?" Ash looked confused, even though he wanted to send Misty through the wall, and then hit himself.

"What's wrong with Ghestis?" Misty was downright furious, but Ash wondered why he had ever been afraid of her.

"He's a criminal! He attacked us many times, with Team Rocket! And he's generally a bad person!" Ash looked at her like she was insane.

"What are you talking about! He works for Nightmare Industries!" Ash pointed at the symbol on his hat. "He is incredibly smart, and has actually led several projects for the military!" Befor Misty could retort, Trip stepped forward.

"Okay! Everyone calm down! Misty, you have every right to be angry, and Jimmy, maybe he has changed. I have an idea! Jimmy, how about later tonight, we all go out and have dinner?" Jimmy was still seething at Misty's words, but remembered his character.

"Sure, but I only have until about eight, okay?" Trip nodded vigorously.

"Fair enough! See you later tonight!" He shooed Misty off, walking slowly behind her. Suddenly, he stopped and turned noislessly. He crept back to Ash. "Listen, Jimmy, I need you to keep a secret, because I need to tell someone! Okay? I plan to propose later, okay?" Ash held himself from spitting in Trip's face.

"Secret's safe here, bud!" Ash didn't plan to keep this secret a secret, mainly because he hated Trip and everything he stood for. He didn't even plan to show up. But something, probably the last shred of respect he had for Trip as a battler, made him say he would go. And so he would.

_~|noOon|~_

**Hey guys. Yes, the whole "incredible battler" aspect is old, but in reality, that's incredibly realistic. If you were a millionaire trainer, you would have the best pokémon, right? Anyways, R&amp;R, leave OC's for this fic (please!). This is Petrous, signing out.**


	4. Chapter 4

_Chapter 4:_

Misty clasped her hands together, tears forming in her eyes, and she gasped. Trip looked up from his kneeling position, but Ash tried to restrain himself for ruining the moment in some way. He instead opted to clench his fists beneath the table. He looked at Misty's stupid face, and wished for nothing more than to send it to the hospital. Misty nodded, and Trip stood up, slipping the ring onto her finger. People all around them cheered, and Ash conjured up the cheery smile, and clapped with them. He could bring himself to feel happy for them, because, if he focused, he could ignore the knowledge that they were the very same people that had viciously stabbed him in the back. He could focus on the fact that they were still people, and so was happy for them. Trip and Misty kissed, then sat back down at the table. They looked immensely happy, and the sight of the young people so in love filled Ash's heart with joy. He sighed, and wrapped an arm around Nefer. She scooted her chair closer, and snuggled up to Ash. She too was warned by the sight, and the young couple was already discussing the future they had secured. Ash kissed the top of Nefer's head, and she rubbed his back. Her Emily costume was very comfortable, and she loved being in his arms. Trip looked at the group and raised a champagne glass.

"To marriage!" He said, and the group raised their glasses. Ash made a humming noise, and everyone looked his way. He put the champagne down, swallowing.

"Mph... May I see that bottle Trip?" Trip nodded, and handed him the bottle across the table. Jimmy looked at the bottle and scoffed. "1982 Chateau... What else was there?" Trip blushed red, and Misty sprang to his defense.

"That single bottle cost 200 pokédollars! I want to see you do better!" Jimmy held up his hands in defense.

"Okay, okay. How about tomorrow you all come to our place and we break into my personal collection?" Everyone agreed heartily, and Ash chuckled. Emily laughed uneasily with everyone else.

_Ash... What are you planning? _He turned to her and grinned, tapping the side of his nose.

"Now, everyone! I am sorry to say that I need to leave." Everyone groaned and tried to coax him to sit. "I have to meet up with a friend of mine, then buy like eight cans of air-fresheners if there are going to be other people in the hotel." Brock laughed, but Emily looked indignant.

"What are you talking about? The room smells fine!" Ash laughed and leaned over.

"You just think that because it's our fault the room smells like that." Emily blushed crimson, and everyone laughed out loud. The waiter came over, asking in French if everything was alright. Trip was about to tell him off in English, but Jimmy responded in fluent, flawless French. He was handed the bill and scoffed. He dug in his pocket and withdrew an enormous wad of pokédollars. He licked his fingers and counted out the amount due, then added about one thousand onto that. He handed that to a stunned waiter, then saluted the small group. "Peace!" With that, he walked from the restaurant, and the talking commenced again. But Emily couldn't focus on the sparkling conversation, or the endearing way Misty and Trip entangled their fingers. Ash was being uncharacteristically nice, to the traitors, no less. And the coincidence with the Knight was too great. She pulled out her PokéNav as the group stood and walked through the exit. A large helicopter flew overhead, bearing the Nightmare Industries logo, and Emily dialed a number, waving goodbye and mouthing goodbye to the group. She walked uptown, PokéNav to her ear, ringing prominent. Finally, Ash picked up.

"Yes dearest?" Was barely tangible through the sound of chopping helicopter blades. Nefer scowled.

"What are you planning?" She thought she heard a chuckle, and grew increasingly more worried.

"Remember that one Magikarp with the virus?" Nefer almost threw up. That virus had taken out an entire section of the laboratory. If not for Ghestis, the vaccine would never have been developed, and thirty people would have died. Ash knew this.

"Please, Ash! Not that! I swear, if they even cough, I will..." She faded off, letting him imagine what she would do. He laughed.

"Calm down baby! I was going to use a weakened version." Nefer sighed in relief.

"Even so, the throwing up alone is going to be ridiculous!" She swore, as she now realized that she had walked right past her hotel. She walked through the doors, into the posh lobby. She walked across the silent lobby, and stepped into the elevator. "Alright, bye Ashy!" She said light-heartedly. She closed the PokéNav, and pushed the button for top floor. She stepped onto the penthouse floor, and ran a hand through her hair. She threw her jacket on the couch, and sat at the bar. She sighed sadly. She handled the 1793 Chateau with care and longing. She pulled the small black and white photograph from her pocket. It was so worn from her constant folding and unfolding, the pristine shine and stiffness of the image was gone. She sighed and looked at the bottle of wine.

"It's all your fault I can't drink this, you little shit!" She said to the photo, placing the wine bottle on the counter. She rubbed her hands on her stomach and felt a very slight kick. She looked down. "Sorry to insult you." She bounced up and down gently in her seat. "I wanna drink dat so bad!" She whined to no one in particular. She sighed again, changing into something more comfortable for bed. She looked into the mirror at her ever-so-slightly swollen stomach. It was only a matter of time before he noticed. She sighed, wondering when she should tell him...

_~|noOon|~_

The display blazed to life, temporarily blinding Ash. He squinted against the helmet screen, and, slowly, Ghestis- whom the AI identified instantly identified. Ash looked at his hands. They were in silver mesh gloves, and covered by titanium-osmium alloyed metal, and had a large plate that looked like Lugia's wings covering them loosely. Ash looked at Ghestis, who was smiling broadly.

"Well?" Was all he said. Ash nodded.

"Not bad..." Ash said. "What is my strength now?" Ghestis typed on a calculator quickly.

"Improved ten-fold, along with all senses, save touch and smell." Ash nodded. He then smiled.

"Time for the Silver Knight to make his first appearance!" Ash thought of the Indigo Plateau. It needed... Something. A figure. A symbol. And the Knight could be that something.


	5. Chapter 5

_Chapter 5:_

The thug ran through the alley, looking over his shoulder. His shirt was ripped. His left eye was swollen, and the clip in his handgun was empty. He stumbled clumsily through the alley, muttering in a feverish, fearful whisper.

"Oh, Arceus... What the fuck... He's too fast..." He turned a corner, and screamed. Red eyes looked at him from the shadows, and... It was just a Rattata. He sighed, and turned. Then, he screamed. His scream ripped through the peaceful night, shattering the serene feeling of Indigo Plateau. The police arrived minutes later, and found the muscle-bound man rocking back and forth in a corner, whispering to himself. "Oh no... He was too fast... Oh Arceus..." The police could get nothing else from him, other than a note from his pocket. It had a simple handprint on it, and a small amount of writing.

_This is the first and only warning. _The police filed the note away, and locked the man away, for attempted assault with a deadly weapon. But the note remained in the file, and opened another, with another photograph, grainy and out of focus, taken from a security camera. There was a silver blur, with no defined shape, save red eyes, looking directly at the camera. After that one frame, the camera had gone dark.

_~noOon~_

Ash returned to the research base near Indigo Plateau, after receiving a message from Ghestis. He walked into the Level Eleven security lab, and docked the shining Silver Knight suit. It began charging, and unraveled its complex interwoven titanium threads, freeing him from what, after being inside it for almost three hours, he related to a cage. Ash walked through the lab, passing a sterile pod, once holding a pokémon. He walked into another sector of the lab, inputting another passcode, and finally stepped in. The room was very small- so small in fact that it was more of a chamber. Ash pressed a button on the wall, and the chamber dropped, deep into the ground. The elevator jerked to a stop with a ding, and Ash stepped out into another lab that was much darker. It consisted of a shielded room, which was mostly dominated by a dashboard, which was covered by buttons, dials, switches, levers, and displays. Also in front of the dashboard were two men. One was Ghestis, who turned and smiled as Ash stepped off the elevator. The other was his nephew, Levi Gero. Levi was a nice boy, only about four years younger than Ash. He had unruly spiked blonde hair, with a purple left eye and a red right eye, which was currently covered by an Analytical Scouter, designed and manufactured by Nightmare Industries. He had his signature orange rubber gloves on, and saluted at Ash.

"Hello Mister Nightmare! The Transmat is ready, and phase one of Super is completed. We have..." Levi looked down at his list. "We have 17 different Supers ready for deployment." Ash nodded, grinning.

"Alright! First one is..."

Levi gladly jumped in. "We have Thanatos Shi-Yami, number 13. Dark type." Ash sighed, smiling.

"Ah, yes, Mr. Yami. He holds the unbelievable eight hour Tower conquer, correct?" Levi nodded.

"Yes sir! He annihilated the last record, which was.." Again, Levi flipped through the packet on his clipboard. "It was previously two days, thirty five minutes, and forty-two seconds." Ash whistled.

"Wow... Say was he my past Aura Apprentice?" Levi nodded again, then began flipping switches and levers, twisting dials and reading displays. Ash looked at Ghestis. "Fire it up, and send him in." Ghestis nodded, and pressed a call button. His voice reverberated throughout the underground complex.

"Attention Guardian Initiative Number 13, please enter Transmat Chamber." After a few minutes of tension-loaded minutes, another figure entered the chamber below them. They stepped up to the raised dais in the centre of the room, and gave a thumbs up to the control room. levi pressed a button, and four large tesla coils descended from the ceiling. The figure visibly flinched, but remained on the dais nevertheless. The coils then became surrounded in a swirling, crackling energy. The energy became progressively stronger, and the crackling louder and more sporadic. Finally, a high-pitched whining filled the chamber, and the air shimmered and waved. The crackling stretched to become a rumble, until the energy surrounded the dais in a green swirling orb. But suddenly, a display beeped, and the energy turned purple, and the tesla coils bent towards the sphere of energy. Ash grabbed Levi's arm.

"What's happening? It's not supposed to do that!" Levi typed furiously, then paled.

"Oh shit..." He said.

"Oh shit what? Levi!" Levi began fumbling in his pocket for the cancellation key.

"A neutrino particle supercharged the reaction! Either Thanatos is going to be launched into the dead vacuum of space, or lost into an interdimensional vortex! Neither of which is good!" Then, the sphere exploded outwards, shattering the supposedly indestructible glass, and rocking the compound with the force of a category eight earthquake. Ash flew against the wall, along with Levi and Ghestis. Glass stabbed into his left arm, and into Levi's stomach. Ghestis fell to the floor with a loud crack, and lay unmoving. Ringing was prominent in Ash's ears. He lay on the ground, surrounded by glass shards, and then the earthquake ended. Ash's eyes drifted closed, and his breathing steadied.

_~noOon~_

Nefer was thrown from bed, falling onto her side, the earthquake waking her a second after. Pain exploded up her arm, but she stood up, and was able to move her arm with only mild soreness. She looked out her window towards the base she knew was out in the woods surrounding Indigo Plateau. There, in the sky, was a faded purple energy, crackling and going out as she looked. She raced back to the bedside table and grabbed her PokéNav. Dialing Ash's number, she held the communicator to her ear, as she dressed- as well as she could with one hand- into her voyage gear, which she had worn to the opening ceremony. As an afterthought, she grabbed three knives, and strapped them to the small of her back, keeping the third on her wrist. The phone rang, not stopping and no one picking up. Nefer ran into the lobby, among everyone else, looking around. Nefer tried to force her way through the milling crowd, instead getting jostled around. Fear rose up in her throat , choking her and partially blocking her breath. Men and women surrounded her like a living, malevolent tide of warmth and jostling. Anger rose in Nefer, but she retained a grip on her temper.

"Hey, guys!" She felt like her voice was ripped away, and the anger and fear rose. "Hey!" Again, no one reacted. This time, however, Nefer could not retain her anger. Aura flared up around her fists. She lashed out like a wedge, driving through the crowd, and people separated in her wake. She reached the doors, and the Aura receded, allowing to open the door, sprinting out into the night. She pulled out her PokeNav, and selected Ash's contact. She walked around the building to the garages, waiting- hoping- Ash would answer. When there was again no answer, she pushed the PokeNav into her leather pockets and climbed onto her motorcycle. She grinned, thinking of one year ago when Ash gave it to her. She revved the engine, and took off, squealing into the night. She tore through the streets, pulling through alleys, and turning without warning to approach the faded purple energy in the sky. She pulled onto the beaten dirt road, roaring off into the night. She pulled her hood up, the on-board gyroscope keeping the bike upright, and ripped down the road, whipping up dust behind her. She noticed a group in front of her, and gritted her teeth. They turned at the roar of the engine, and Nefer recognized the group of Ash's ex-friends. they were walking in the same direction as she, and she had to swerve to avoid them. The conflicting forces caused her hood to fall off. She looked over at the group and realized how badass she must have looked, and Brock's rapidly dropping jaw and heart-shaped eyes told her she also looked very beautiful. Her black hair spilling behind her, her piercing purple eyes... She continued roaring down the road, and pulled to a stop near the origin of the now-extinct skylights. She leaned the bike against a tree, and could hear Ash's ex-friends running along the road behind her. She ran to the access panel, and pressed her right hand against the scanner panel, pulling her hood up simultaneously. The door opened with a hiss. Nefer heard the traitors run up to the road and spot her motorcycle. She stepped into the chilly hallway, and turned to look at the group. They yelled and pointed as the door closed, and Nefer decided to tease them. She lowered her hood, and smiled charmingly. She winked and made a kissy face as the door shut with a hiss. Then, she was off again, sprinting through the halls, passing locked doors. She came upon the stasis pod, and inputted her security code. The chamber revealed itself to her and she stepped in, mashing the down button many times. The chamber ground down the elevator shaft at its agonizingly slow pace, until it finally ground to a stop. The doors opened, and she gasped. There was Ash, Ghestis and Levi, lying in their own respective pools of blood, surrounded by shards of razor-sharp glass shards. She crouched down next to Ash, and cradled his scarred face in her hands. His eyes fluttered open, and a single tear fell from Nefer's eyes. She brushed his face, and he smiled at her. that same, stupid, sloppy, heart-melting smile she loved.

"Have I ever told you that you are the best way to wake up I could possibly imagine?" His voice was cracking and hoarse. She cried openly, shaking her head. Levi groaned and pushed himself up from the ground, pain etched all over his face.

"I am fine as well, Ms. Nightmare!" He said. Nefer helped Ash to his feet, and he moaned.

"Nefer... get me to the Knight." He managed. Nefer nodded furiously , and placed him in the elevator. He leaned heavily on the railing, eyes clouded from pain and possible concussion. But still he smiled that reckless smile. "Help Levi help Ghestis, then help yourself. The Knight can heal me within the hour." Nefer raised a skeptical eyebrow as she released Magcargo and the temperature rose about twenty degrees. Ash laughed at her raised eyebrow. "No need to worry, right Sugar?" He used the nickname he had used when he first met her. Nefer smiled, and shoved her dagger into Magcargo's molten skin. Magcargo felt nothing, but the dagger slowly heated up... Enough to cauterize stab wounds.

"That's when I worry the most... Spice." Ash smiled, and the door closed.

_~noOon~_

**Hey, guys. Petrous here. None of you, save ONE PERSON, are taking me seriously when I say... I NEED YOU TO REVIEW AND TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK! PLEASE! Okay... Thank you in advance! This is Petrous, signing out.**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6:

The reporter pushed aside branches, walking through the woods, stepping over large bits of debris.

"This is the supposed origin of the mysterious explosion. Nobody knows what could have possibly caused it, but we believe that it had something to do with the rumoured Nightmare Secret Facilities, or NSF's, which have also been rumoured to have produced the Blur of Indigo Plateau. Now, none of those rumours have been confirmed, and Head of Sales Paul Shinji has denied any accusations in the press conference earlier in the-" The reporter was cut off by the miniscule cracking that permeated the audio of the news report. It was followed by rustling, seeming to come from all around the reporter. The hissing began, and suddenly, a blur shone in the brush. And it was silver. Then the camera went dark. But not before capturing two red eyes, and the beginning of a scream.

_~lnoOonl~_

"This is the one on one match between Jimmy, the fan-favorite, and Brock Slate, gym leader of Kanto's Pewter City." The cheering was deafening, and Brock smiled and waved. Jimmy stood like a statue, and fingered the pokéball on his belt. Brock grabbed a ball as well.

"Alright, let's get this party started! Geodude, I choose you!" The Geodude landed on the field with an unimpressive thump. Jimmy smiled under his hat. He tossed his pokéball onto the field, and a Bisharp spilled from the pokéball. It remained silent. The crowd screamed, and Brock yelled his first order. "Geodude, use Rock Throw!" The pokémon followed its orders and scooped some earth up. Bisharp didn't move as Jimmy conveyed his orders. As the Rock sped towards the dark-steel pokémon, it… Disappeared. Just like that. The rock was left speeding towards Jimmy, who jumped out of the way. Geodude's eyes widened, and it turned wildly. Brock's mouth was still open when the Bisharp re-materialized long enough to slash with Metal Claw. Geodude fell to the ground, struggling to open its eyes after every blink. Brock was aghast, and the crowd screamed. Jimmy's Bisharp appeared in front of him.

"Mr. Nightmare bred this Bisharp to have the highest speed of its breed. This guy moves faster than the speed of sound, making him soundless. But I see that your Geodude has Sturdy. Not a problem though." Brock's mouth snapped shut, but he opened it again.

"Wait, I have a question!" But Jimmy wasn't listening. Bisharp disappeared again. Then, he appeared again, rushing towards Geodude, silent as usual. Brock made a final, desperate ploy for victory.

"Earthquake!" Geodude smashed a fist against the ground, and it buckled. Cracks formed, shooting outwards, and a large rock shot from the arena floor. Bisharp dodged around it, move deactivating, and he again disappeared. Jimmy raised an eyebrow.

"Nice try Brock, but it takes more than you've got." With that, Bisharp leapt up, off the same rock he had dodged around. As he rocketed downwards, he crossed both arms, slicing across Geodude's face. Geodude fell to the ground, defeated. Bisharp was returned, and Jimmy bowed for the roaring crowd.

"Another stunning victory for crowd-favorite Jimmy!" The crowd exploded with even louder cheers and screams. The VIP box, however, remained still and silent. Jimmy looked into the faces of Gym Leaders and Champions. There was also another, much less qualified man sitting among them, and his tan hair and smug smirk brought fury bubbling to the surface. At least, right under the surface, because Jimmy had spent too long plotting this act of sweet, sweet revenge. Even Brock, who jumped across the ruined terrain with the practiced poise of a pro rock-climber, couldn't stop him. He slipped from the shattered stadium like a wraith, and was long gone when Brock and his crew left the building, casting their eyes around futilely in search of Jimmy. Brock's theory was becoming more and more plausible, but he couldn't voice his thoughts yet. Soon, but not yet.

_~lnoOonl~_

The two muscle-bound men pushed opened the cargo-bay doors a crack, allowing their employer to slip inside, and closed it just as quickly behind themselves. Already waiting was a seedy looking man, twig-like and twitching, muttering and biting his nails. The first man, tall, business-like walked silently into the center of the illuminated cone of light. He stepped into the cone, hat casting his face into shadow. He cleared his throat, and the seedy man spun around.

"Oh thank Arceus you're here! I need some of the stuff!" The business man stayed silent, not even acknowledging his comprehension. The seedy man dug into his pocket and withdrew a wrinkled mound of PokéDollars. "Please!" The business man extended a hand, and the druggy dropped the wad of cash into his hand. The business man slid the wad into his jacket-pocket, and then extended the briefcase he carried in his other hand. The seedy man greedily snatched at it, fumbling with the clasp. When he finally opened it, a puff of dust shot into his face. He coughed and waved a hand in front of his face… Then he coughed again… and again… and again. He fell onto the ground, clutching at his throat. He coughed again and again, until he could draw no more breath. The business man walked down the street, heavy wad of cash in pocket, and the moonlight bouncing off of his pointed teeth…

_~lnoOonl~_

**And scene! Hey guys, Petrous back! Sorry I haven't uploaded in a really long time, but I have been busy, but summer is soon! I will upload a lot during summer. With more to come very soon, this is Petrous signing out.**


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